rgic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪

but once a week i let her play sheriff so i can wash it. i use tide to get out those week old stains and downy to get it fresh and soft. you are free to go. [ dad ] tide and downy together.

♪ does that make you feel relaxed? >> a little bit. >> lowers the blood pressure a little bit. >> except this story i'm not so

relaxed. >> the drama behind russia's famed bolshoy ballet. >> police say he confessed to hiring someone to throw acid in the face of the company's artistic director. and the motive? love. abc's kirit radia has the story. >> reporter: it's a story of jealousy, ego and revenge. the type russia's ballet is famous for. but like natalie portman's obsessive character in "black swan" the real drama is taking place off stage. police have detained this man, a top dancer, the alleged mastermind behind the attack on ar the artistic director. in january, he was splashed with acid, leaving him badly scarred and fighting for his eyesight. the story has unraveled, and

dmitrichenko reportedly ordered the hit as revenge for his girlfriend, a rising star who was passed over for top roles, reportedly even calling her fat. in a taped confession, the suspect said he only wanted to scare the victim, not hurt him. people have been coming here from around the world for centuries. over that time, the theater has been no stranger to scandal. there are stories of jealous dancers putting broken glass in a rival's shoe. or even pins in their costume. >> it is sort of like the movie "the black swan." if a young dancer has a lead, it can make them or break them. >> reporter: some still suspect this was not a solo act. the xwe question now is, who else will fall before the final curtain comes down. kirit radia, abc news, moscow. >> yikes! >> i don't know why, but it almost reminds me of the tonya harding -- >> yes!

>> -- where you just lose touch with reality. >> what could we do to each other? >> an acid attack or -- >> i'm going to put glass in your shoes so you can't walk to the set. that just seems ridiculous. that you get so -- >> a bucket of sawdust in the face just before the show. >> you get so caught up. >> let go a little bit. everybody has people they don't get along with. bosses at work. but you don't throw acid in their face. >> here's a little more information for you. the alleged attacker, the person that you saw there, he hired someone to do this to the director. so the gentleman who actually did this, the person's name is uri zarutski. apparently they bought this acid from an auto shop. not only that, talk about premeditated, they then heated it up to evaporate all the water to make the acid even stronger. yikes. >> doesn't sound like they were just trying to scare the person, does it? >> no, i think they were trying

to do harm. still to come, a case of necessary savings or playing politics? >> the white house has dashed the hopes of some schoolchildren and republicans are saying it just didn't have to happen. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now"

♪ i hear you knocking, but you can't come in ♪ ♪ i hear you knocking the white house is our house. that is the rallying cry by schoolchildren who are hoping to visit the white house on a field trip. >> but they were shut down after the obama administration canceled tours because of spending cuts. abc's jonathan karl spoke with the disappointed class. >> reporter: for tourists visiting the nation's capital, the decision to close the white house has hit with a thud. what do you guys make of this decision for the white house to say they're going to cut white house tours? >> how frank do you want it to be? >> as frank as you want it to be. >> it's just bull [ bleep ]. >> reporter: these folks came from minnesota.

>> the white house. >> reporter: we talked via skype to a sixth grade class from waverly, iowa, just told their white house tour next week has been canceled. how big a deal is it to go to the white house? >> it's very important. they'll remember it for the rest of their lives. unfortunately, they might remember this is a sign of their government if they can't go. >> reporter: now they've launched a facebook campaign. to get the white house open. the message -- >> all: the white house is our house. please let us visit. >> reporter: republicans accused the white house of playing politics, but the white house says it's canceling tours because sequester spending cuts have sliced $84 million out of the secret service's $1.6 billion budget and they are the ones who secure the tours. they wouldn't say how much this saves. tours are open 20 hours a week and use 30 uniformed secret service officers at about $30 an hour. total saved, approximately $18,000 a week. cuts or no cuts, here in the

capitol building, tours continue. while we were there, we ran into the speaker of the house. the president says he has to cancel the tours because of the budget cuts. >> we're open. and americans are welcome. >> reporter: the president had dinner wednesday night with a group of republican senators just six blocks from here. he took a 20-vehicle motorcade and secret service agents. maybe next time they can save by just ordering in. >> the entire white house budget apparently is $500 million. this would account for 1%, these tours of the white house. >> i have the feeling they can afford it. >> it does seem strange. >> by the way, the cut is like $352,000 and that's a ride on air force one for two hours. >> is that right? i love this one. a republican from texas, introducing an amendment to the rules, barring the use of funds

to transport the president to the golf course. >> and we were talking about portraits that cost $180,000 a year. come on, white house, get it together. >> i'm with you. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. he'll find. ♪ who's that lady? ♪ who's that lady? ♪ sexy lady ♪ who's that lady? [ female announcer ] swiffer sweeper's electrostatic dry cloths attract and lock dirt, dust, and hair on contact to clean 50% more than a broom. it's a difference you can feel. swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. and now swiffer wet and dry refills are available with the fresh scent of gain. and now swiffer wet and dry refills have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day,

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♪ hello, everybody, and welcome to "the mix." all right. so we start this one, this "mix" with a story that's going to make you upset. because it made us upset. this is about a gentleman who lives here in new york. his name is robert. this 42-year-old man was apparently laughing a lot at his neighbor. but here's the thing. he has some mental impairments and he's laughing because his neighbor makes fun of him. so that's the way he deals with his neighbor. the neighbor called police on him. so now this is who is the bigger idiot here? the neighbor calls the police, the police come and charge the man. so now he's been charged with obstructing justice and being offensive to others. apparently he was laughing and

acting in such a manner that was annoying, disturbing, and interfering. so now we have the idiot neighbor, the idiot police and a judge who refuses to drop the charges. now we have an idiot judge. >> this is a crazy story. against the law to laugh, i guess. >> that's not nice. listen to this. nobody's laughing about this. a delivery guy delivers 85 pizzas. the total bill was $1,453. how much do you think he deserves? >> as a tip? >> yeah, what do you think? >> if you have enough money to spend $1,000 on pizza, i would say $100. >> okay, he got a $10 tip. so the guy went online and he said, are you kidding me? $10 is cheap. it started a debate. >> good for him. >> it is interesting. i delivered food in college, one of the crazy jobs i had to pay my way through college. and book money and all that stuff, beer money. and 20% is a lot for delivery boy.

delivery boy doesn't expect 20%, but you don't expect $10 on a bill of $1400. 50 bucks, i think, is about right. >> 50 bucks, 100 bucks. if you're going to spend $1400 on pizza, throw the guy a little bit. i was a waitress also in college. and man, oh man, i didn't live the $5 tips on $50. you want to make these kids want to do what they're doing. as opposed to going and posting your stuff on reddit. now this one is pretty interesting. if you want to be a social media manager for a pizza hut, you can go ahead and apply, but your job interview is going to be 140 seconds long. >> 140 seconds, which is two and a half minutes. >> imagine going in an interview and having to say all of your qualifications, some of the things you want to do for the company and you've got to do it in 2 1/2 minutes. that's just not going to happen. >> maybe with some of these

applicants, it might be a good thing. less is more. you know that expression?

this morning on "world news now," deadly storm. the toll this late winter storm is having on the eastern third of the country. >> the deep, heavy snow, dangerous travel conditions and the threat of more ice and snow over the next 24 hours. it's thursday, march 7th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. i'm john muller in for rob nelson. >> finally on this thursday. >> we're getting there. inching our way to friday. >> friday eve. we love it, we love it. >> but not loving this weather, are we? >> i know. a second storm is merging with this storm, making spring seem like it's more than just two weeks away. that's our top story. the other major story comes from california, where a lion

killed a 26-year-old woman at a wildlife sanctuary. why investigators are puzzled about this one. and a followup on the drone sighting over the skies over busy airport, jfk to be precise. who is flying these small remote aircraft and why passenger jets could be at risk. and all the buzz about late night talk show hosts. while jimmy fall lon may be moving up and who may be taking the current place that he holds on the dial. that's coming up in "the skinny." >> that would be a controversial pick. that's our little tease. stay tuned for that. we begin with the powerful storm blasting the east coast this morning, unleashing snow, rain, winds. it knocked out power to 250,000 people so far. >> flood gates swung into action in norfolk, virginia, keeping rising waters in check. powerful winds from the winter storm are causing storm surge. today they're bracing for coastal flooding along the new jersey shore, long island and new england. >> the storm is being blamed for at least four traffic deaths in the midwest. in chicago, the roof of a banquet hall collapsed. apparently under the weight of the heavy, wet snow. as you see, a lot of damage there. fortunately no one was hurt.

>> winter storm warnings are in effect in at least seven states this morning from new jersey to maine. beachfront communities are still rebuilding after superstorm sandy wiare keeping their finge crossed. abc's ginger zee begins our coverage. >> reporter: winds are howling along the east coach. low-lying areas in new jersey already under water, now under voluntary evacuations. that area, still raw from hurricane sandy, now scrambling to protect the fragile coastline from this storm's driving rain, surge, and winds. wind so strong in maryland, this semi teetered on the edge of a bridge. in north carolina, real-life bumper cars on an icy mountain road. the federal government shut down. more than 200 accidents so far as we make our way through the storm. so we just had to get off the highway because there's a jackknifed semi. there have been 250,000 power outages and at least one person

is dead, hit by a fallen tree. the snow is thick and it is heavy. so hazardous and the storm isn't done yet. now, we keep telling you wet and heavy snow fell. but how heavy is wet, heavy snow? let me give you an idea. i have a scale here. and i know what i weigh. this adds about ten pounds. that just to give you perspective, is more than a gallon of milk. ginger zee, abc news, shenandoah national park, virginia. >> when you hear ginger grunt, you know it's heavy. she is tough. >> oh, yeah. shoveling, by the way, ten pounds of snow with every shovel load? >> it sounds cliche, but you better bend the knees. because if you just bend the back and just do like this, like i made the mistake of once, you'll pay for it. >> oh, be careful out there. >> coastal areas can expect winds up to 70 miles per hour. the same areas hit by hurricane sandy. >> and another storm bringing more snow.

meteorologist jim dickey continues our coverage in accuweather. good morning, jim. >> good morning. still tracking our storm system here. it's moved offshore but not going to push out to sea. we're seeing more blues and pinks mixing in. this indicating a slushy mix falling in many cases. new york city up through boston, a slushy coating to an inch piling up in these morning hours. and this isn't done yet. this storm system is now interacting with an upper low being drawn out of southern ontario. that will keep snow in place, especially in southern new england as we get through the day. with strong, gusty winds, beach erosion ongoing here. initial snowfall here, looking for a wide area of 3 to 6 inches, a few spots 6 to 9, that includes worcester, massachusetts. john and diana, back to you. >> thanks, jim. here's the rest of your thursday forecast. a chilly morning for most of florida. spring-like from dallas to denver. showers in the pacific northwest. rain from san francisco to san diego. and half a foot of snow in the sierra nevada, cascades and northern rockies. >> upper 40s from seattle to salt lake city. mostly 30s in the midwest. 40s in the northeast.

a 26-year-old woman from seattle has been killed in a lion attack at a california animal sanctuary. investigators are trying to figure out why the victim went into the cage. they said such attacks are almost unheard of, especially given how closely regulated sanctuaries like this one are. >> this is very rare, very rare, because of the safety requirements we require through our permitting system, animal-employee interaction is limited. >> the african lion had to be shot and killed after the attack. >> so sad. her dad confirmed the death on facebook. and said diana loved her six-month internship at cat haven. >> 26-year-old diana. this was a 350-pound lion, named couscous, he was 4 years old. he was hand-raised by these people.

he was like the ambassador of the species almost, because he was so tame. so investigators are trying to figure out, did she make a sudden move, because the people that were in the cage right before -- >> they said she was chill -- or he is. >> so they're just trying to figure out did she make a sudden move. >> wild animals, you got to remember that. members of the u.s. senate talked until the wee hours of the morning as a successful effort to block the nomination of john brennan as head of the cia. senator rand paul got things started, he talked for five hours. other senators joined the chorus and paul yielded the floor just before 1:00 a.m. the filibuster there lasted 13 hours, if you can believe that. the head of venezuela's presidential guard said hugo chavez died after suffering a heart attack. he said that in his final moments, chavez could not speak aloud but muttered "i don't want to die." hundreds of thousands carried his coffin through the streets ahead of his funeral tomorrow. today could be the day roman catholic cardinals tell us when they're going to formally begin to choose the next pope. at long last, the final cardinal

who will be involved in the conclave is getting to the vatican today. that opens the way for an announcement about when the supersecret meeting will begin. all the cardinals are now under a vatican imposed media blackout. and we've got our first glimpse of the former pope in retirement. an italian magazine published this photo of benedict, now known as pope emeritus. that's him in white, strolling in the gardens of the papal retreat where he's now currently living. the teenager who survived two nights on a maine mountain has returned home to massachusetts. his mom said nicholas joy was in a good frame of mind after arriving in suburban boston. but is not ready to speak to reporters. a sister said nicholas may share his story later. >> nick is just tired and overwhelmed and when ever, or if he's ready to come out. not today -- >> not tonight, not tomorrow. >> but at some point in the future he'll share his story if he feels like he wants to. >> the 17-year-old spent the night at a maine hospital after his rescue earlier in the day.

we've just got to say this. we're going to dedicate this next story to our own rob nelson, because it's just the kind of animal story he loves.ì& >> he loves animals. we're being sarcastic. check out heidi, a 4-year-old rabbit, of all things, in england. she's not just swimming around because it's fun. this is heidi's hydrotherapy, which her vet recommends to deal with her arthritis. >> heidi's arthritis is in her hips, knees and back. they say this is really helping her, and look, she's wearing a scrunchy around her ears because she apparently just hates to get them wet. >> a bunny who is swim. >> and hates getting her ears wet. >> arthritis in the hips, not a good thing for a bunny. >> my dog has arthritis in the hips and this is a good thing. she loves jumping in the pool. now we will let her. >> there you go. >> there you go, mom. if you're listening, let cookie

in the pool. coming up, all of that talk about late-night talk shows and who may be signing off and who may be signing on. later, an epic weight loss. an inspirational journey. a man who lost more than 300 pounds without surgery or pills, is now helping others do the same. you're watching "world news now." ♪ when you dig down deep so deep oh you gotta want it ♪ ♪ just gotta want it >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by united health care. that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and save you up to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide

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in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

♪ blue skies smiling at me ♪ nothing but blue skies do i see ♪ well, those blue skies can be deceiving for pilots of commercial airlines these days, because there's a new danger in the air. >> yeah, the danger? drone aircraft. which can be anything from local police surveillance devices to small, remote-controlled toy planes. as abc's david kerley reports, it has pilots concerned. >> reporter: it's never happened before. five miles from a new york airport, a jumbo jet pilot spots something on final approach. >> kennedy tower, just for your information, we just saw a little drone below us. >> reporter: the alitalia pilot says the small black craft was within 200 feet of his jet. the fbi is on the case. it's an incident that frightens pilots. >> a couple of pounds hitting an airplane going 200, 250 miles per hour, if it hits the wrong place, like comes in through the

cockpit, hits the glass, it can hit the pilot or co-pilot. it can hit an engine, take out an engine. >> reporter: you may think military, overseas and kill strikes when you hear drones. but these unmanned aircraft are showing up in american skies. police departments using small hand-launched drones to look for suspects or missing children. but it's not just the government buying drones. remote-controlled aircraft, some toys like this as well, have been around for years. but look what we found at a hobby store for $700. this is the phantom. it is a drone, four rotors. it can carry a camera and go 22 miles an hour and 1,000 feet in the air. that's almost as high as the empire state building. but flying this drone above 400 feet within three miles of an airport violates federal guidelines, possibly even the law. with technology improving and prices dropping, the government worries many more will be taking off. new rules are being considered, but with drones easily

available, will those rules be enough to keep our skies safe? david kerley, abc news, washington. >> fascinating story. how bad do we want one of these? >> i totally want one. >> are those the coolest. >> there it is. there's one in here actually. the lights above us, they're all tiny drones. >> they're just teasing us. we can't see it. >> it's coming out of somewhere. it's going to come and bomb us. so here's the deal. apparently the faa grants licenses for these things and they usually grant them to agencies that need the surveillance capacities. of a drone. >> sure. >> but the technology that we hold in our hands with our smartphones is advancing so quickly that teenagers might be able to equip these things with their smartphones and find people in a crowd the same way our government is trying to do with terrorists overseas.

>> they say it's going to be used for traffic reports, finding lost dogs and cats. peeping toms, you can do it right up to diana's window at night. you don't even know it's out there. it's got a camera. >> see, that's the problem. >> drones are coming, everybody. >> don't like that idea. coming up, an all-new look for snooki from "the jeff zi shore." you know all about the jersey shore. >> i do, but i've never met snooki. jessica simpson spilling the beans. we'll tell you about that one. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news

♪ skinny, so skinny

all right. time for "the skinny." let's talk late-night talk show hosts. a lot of rumors, unconfirmed. but jimmy fallon is going to be the successor to "the tonight show." jay leno might step down. so if this happens, the new rumor is who would take over for jimmy fallon. >> they have an open spot. john, you declined. >> yes, i declined. this "world news now" gig is just too lucrative. but at any rate, "the new york post" is reporting that howard stern could be jimmy fallon's -- stern has had a lot of different appearances on tv. what is he doing now? he's doing that "america's got talent" show, so he's getting a lot more exposure. sort of more mainstream exposure than his radio shoe. >> you would be surprised how many people listen to that man's radio show. >> howard stern is funny. say what you want, i know it's politically incorrect.

i'm sure a lot of people have issues with it. i know it's wrong, but every time i hear him, i crack up. >> every man -- my husband says he's a good interviewer. >> he's tremendously talented. he can be profane, but that can be funny, too. >> so this grooming process might be a long time. >> we'll see. all unconfirmed. so we all know jessica simpson is pregnant once again. she's been pregnant for 45 years. >> hasn't she been -- right, hasn't she been pregnant forever? >> pregnant with her second one. so she was on "the jimmy kimmel show" this evening and she was talking about how this is different from her first one. because this second one is making her sick. take a listen. >> i've been vomiting and -- >> oh. >> yeah. i never knew that a weiner could actually make me nauseous. oh! >> what did you intend to say there? >> well, i guess i just told the world that i'm having a boy. >> oh, i didn't even know what was happening. >> wow, that's great. >> so i saw this happening.

i actually didn't know what was happening either. i thought -- i honestly thought -- she could have gotten away with saying when she said wieners are making me sick, i thought she was talking about hot dogs. i really did. >> i went right to the dirty stuff. >> did you really? >> yes, of course. and i think moets of the audience did. >> i think they were laughing at the fact that she said weiner. using it as an excuse to say it because she said it so many times. >> do wieners make you sick by the way? >> no, hot dogs don't make me sick at all. but i just think jessica simpson has an issue with oversharing. she was apparently on the "ellen degeneres" show and talked about farting and amniotic fluid and puking. so she shares a little too much. now the world knows she's having a boy. but i think she could have gotten away with saying hot dogs make me sick. this is awesome. japanese tv, leonardo dicaprio

waits a bunch of years to bust out a really good impersonation of jack nicholson and he doesn't say a word. listen up. >> how great is that? >> check it out. >> let's see what they look like. how good is that? that's good. >> and they worked together on "the departed" about seven years ago. but that was on japanese tv and apparently the hosts all loved it there. i love it too. that's good. >> very cool. moving on. you know snooki very well because you live on the jersey shore. >> yeah, we're buds. we hang out, absolutely. >> you're neighbors. >> absolutely. >> any way, she's changed her look. she's dropped 42 pounds since she had her baby. she's now on the cover of "us weekly" and she looks good. but not only that, she's changed all together. she's lightened up a little bit, so she's taking it easy on the self-tanner and going tanning every two days now. >> she's a mom now. >> she's a mom. she's growing up. she said she wanted to lose the weight so her hubby, i think it's her hubby-to-be, they're

not married yet. she wanted to look good for him. to make sure he always viewed her as a hot momma. and she is. good for you, snooki. she's growing up and lightening up. good for you. sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day

have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪

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♪ when it's time to lay it on the line ♪ well, if your new year's weight loss resolution is losing steam, we've got a little bit of inspiration for you this morning. >> check this out. brian beck lost 300 pounds without pills or surgery. this is why it is our "favorite story of the day." brian did it through sheer willpower. abc's rachel smith has more. >> reporter: brian beck has been on the heavier side of the scale for most of his life. >> the doctor put me on skim milk at 6 months old because i was gaining weight too rapidly. >> reporter: by the time he graduated college, he was tipping the scales at over 400 pounds. but by 2003, brian's weight wasn't just affecting his

personal life, it was affecting his career, as well. >> i had an interview to go to orlando. i went over to get my ticket and they said you need two. you take up a row basically. >> reporter: that's when he decided to have gastric bypass surgery. he lost nearly 200 pounds but didn't change his eating habits and gained all the weight back. after getting married in 2007, a second wakeup call. >> i'm on the phone with my wife and i just said, i can't live like this anymore. i can eat better. i can change my health. >> reporter: he started changing his life slowly. walking his dogs around the block and cutting out processed foods from his diet. over 2 1/2 years, more than 300 pounds melted away. what was a meal like for brian at 480-some odd pounds? >> instead of ordering one pizza, it would be two pizzas and a big order of like cheese sticks along with that. now i try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. i do eat meats. i eat a lot of chicken.

a lot of -- i'll eat steak. >> reporter: now 40 years old, brian has decided to share his experience with others. he's a personal trainer and his clients include people who knew him at his heaviest weight. so what do you think about the new brian? >> i think he's awesome. >> reporter: yeah. >> thank you, buddy. >> inspiration, totally. >> reporter: and i couldn't help but pick up some tips myself. rachel smith, abc news, plano, texas. >> amazing turnaround. >> those jeans he's holding up, size 60-inch weight. we want to give you perspective. >> not making fun. just perspective. >> two people fit inside of this man's previous jeans. it's a wonderful story he now doesn't fit in them either. he's lost an incredible amount of weight. he was carrying around that much weight. he was carrying around an extra person. >> a picture is worth a thousand words. and he say , 80% of it is diet.

this morning on "world news now," fatal attack. a 350-pound lion kills a wildlife sanctuary volunteer who was following her dream to work with big cats. >> now, investigators are puzzled by the lion's behavior because witnesses say the lion was acting normally moments before the attack. it is thursday, march 7th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good thursday morning. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm john muller in for rob nelson. we're going to take you to california for our top story as wildlife experts try to sort out that deadly attack. at the lion sanctuary. also this morning, icy, snowy, dangerous weather here on the east coast. that's why the northeast is bracing for yet another round of misery in addition to the one we just got. and then to our top medical

headline and the vicious form of bacteria that can be deadly. what hospitals are doing to protect patients and staff from a terrible germ that's next to impossible to fight. and later this half hour, the actress who won america's hearts by playing" rhoda," now she faces real heartache in real life. valerie harper's diagnosis and why it comes as such a surprise. new details in that deadly lion attack at a california animal sanctuary. we've just learned that the victim is 26-year-old diana hanson. she had moved from seattle to intern at that park. >> she worked there only two months before yesterday's fatal mauling. abc's brandi hitt in los angeles with the very latest. good morning, brandi. >> reporter: good morning, john and diana. this is a place families go to see big cats, including lions up close, and they can sometimes even pet the animals. but when a young intern went inside one of the lion enclosures, something went horribly wrong. the lion attack took place at cat haven, a central california

sanctuary for big cats. >> the animal is in the enclosure with the patient. >> reporter: that animal was couscous, this 4-year-old african male lion. officials say he attacked a 26-year-old intern wednesday afternoon when she entered the enclosure. another employee tried several times to distract couscous away, but it didn't work. >> she was attacked and fatally injured. the lion was shot and killed per our safety protocols. our thoughts and prayers go out to our friend and family. >> they're just wild animals. >> reporter: sheriff's officials and the department of fish and game are now investigating what led up to the attack. >> hey, you. >> reporter: anderson founded project survival cat haven 20 years ago, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with these big cats. he's also raised many of these animals, including couscous, even demonstrating security around the enclosures to a local tv crew. >> i can open this door and he's not out, right?

>> reporter: the business was closed to the public at the time of the attack. >> this is very rare. very rare, because of the safety requirements that we require through our permitting system, animal-employee interaction is limited. >> reporter: in fact the department of fish and game says cat haven has a good history. but detectives will be looking deeper into their records. john and diana? >> brandi, thank you very much. they're keeping a close eye on the beaches in south florida this morning, look at this. people flocking to the area to spring break, several beaches closed after dozens of sharks responded in shallow waters off of palm beach county. the sharks are heading back north after migrating south for the winter. experts hope the overcast conditions today send the sharks to sunnier, warmer waters. the winter storm blamed for four deaths across the midwest is now moving up to the east coast this morning. many roads to the south are still treacherous. glazed over by a sheet of ice. cars slid into one another in the north carolina mountains. and a police officer lost his footing on a slick hillside.

the snow is tapering off this morning, but the storm is triggering dangerous winds as it stretches from new jersey to new england. atlantic city and other coastal communities hit by hurricane sandy are bracing for another round of flooding. thousands of people in new jersey have already lost power. >> some of the coastal areas can expect tropical storm force winds today. and there's a new round of snow on the way. >> spring arrives in just two weeks. if you can imagine it. you want to tell that to meteorologist jim dickey at accuweather? good morning, jim. >> good morning, john and diana. our storm system has moved its way offshore. a powerful area of low pressure leading to strong, gusty winds. many spots along the jersey coast have reported wind gusts 60, 70 miles per hour. snow is still on the table as well. we are seeing light snowfall right now. the new york city area on north and eastward. slushy inch or two piling up through the early morning hours. more snow on the way tonight, into early friday. many spots 3 to 6 inches before this all winds down.

john and diana, back to you. >> all right. jim dickey at accuweather, thank you very much. low humidity and windy conditions were just right to push a brush fire in florida dangerously close to i-95. the thick smoke forcing police to close the highway for several hours while the crews battle the flames. limited visibility causing at least one crash. brush fire warnings have been in effect this year across much of florida. the suspect in that deadly hit and run accident in new york has turned himself in to police. a mother, father and premature baby all died as a result of the accident on saturday night. julio acevedo was spending the night in a pennsylvania jail after being taken into cust did at a minimart in eastern pennsylvania. police in california say no criminal charges are going to be filed in connection with the nurse who refused to perform cpr. the investigation is now closed. her family has said it has no intention of suing the retirement home or seeking punishment for the workers. the incident gained worldwide

attention after recordings of the nurse's 911 call were made public. by the way, the woman on the other side of the phone call, if you listen to the 911 -- >> the 911 operator was wonderful. >> the 911 operator was wonderful. the nurse on the other line was saying, because of corporate rules, my hands are tied. now she's on leave. i think she just wants to stay out of the public eye, because there is quite a lot of backlash after this. >> the official statement, the staff member is on voluntary leave while an internal investigation is conducted. the family of the woman who died said they just want to move on from this. they're not looking to make a statement here. >> that's right. so two children have kind of emerged from this. the mother of lorraine bayless is a nurse, and she's the one that said i'm not interested in anything. my mother was happy where she was living and knew what the guidelines were. there was a gentleman there

whose son is a firefighter who saw this happening and said somebody should have jumped in. now his son is also becoming very vocal and saying something should have been done. >> we're sitting here, they were there. they know better. but i agree with that guy. if somebody is dying, somebody do something. >> just be a good samaritan. >> exactly right. let's talk about a new warning about the so-called nightmare bacteria. it can cause deadly infections at america's hospitals. abc's chief medical editor dr. richard besser showing us why these pose such a danger. >> reporter: isolation rooms. surveillance cameras. hospitals in a race against time to contain nightmare super bacteria. before it spreads from the hospital out into the world. how big a deal would it be if c.r.e. got out of the hospital and set up shop in the community? >> it would be nothing short of catastrophic. >> reporter: this is the enemy. a group of intestinal bacteria called c.r.e. practically antibiotic proof. the cdc estimates thousands of hospital patients are infected. it's highly contagious and spreading fast. in nearly 200 hospitals and nursing homes in 42 states. it's spread from patient to

patient on the hands of health care workers. and here's the scary part. these alter other bacteria so they fight off drugs, as well. these can cause life-threatening infections. patients with infeks of the blood, nearly half can die. so hospitals pull out the stops. at montefiore, isolation rooms stand at the ready. and dedicated equipment from stethoscopes to blood pressure cuffs are just for c.r.e. patients. some use video cameras to police hand washing. here, they even posted medical students as spotters to make sure everyone is washing their hands. that's where the hand washing spies can be helpful? >> i call them observers. >> reporter: with these superbugs, it's a matter of life and death. if you want to make sure you don't get this infection, next time you're in the hospital, before anyone touches you, ask them to wash their hands. and ask them to wash them again before they leave the room. it's not easy to do, but it's so important. dr. richard besser, abc news,

new york. you might remember a young girl we reported on last month. she had been severely burned in her hospital bed. now we're hearing from 12-year-old ireland lane, a cancer patient. she says the only part of her body that still hurts after being burned is her head. the fire, listen to this, was caused by a strange combination of olive oil, alcohol-paced hand sanitizer, and static electricity. she's undergone two skin graphs since being burned. asked how she's feeling, she simply says good. a controversial ruling from a judge in connecticut is getting plenty of attention. that judge ruled that competitive cheerleading is not a college sport. this comes because of a filing by people at quinnipiac. they claim their sport could not be eliminated for budgetary reasons and replaced by cheer leading. the judge apparently agreed. diplomats at the u.n. are expected to vote for stronger sanctions against north korea today. the punishments are in response to the north's nuclear test conducted last month.

north korea will also be the subject of a senate hearing today on capitol hill. and tmz is reporting that dennis rodman is already planning a return trip to north korea. rodman became the first american to meet president kim jong-un last week in a widely criticized visit. but a spokesman for the former nba star says rodman wants to broker a peace deal between north korea and the u.s. i don't know how i feel about that. >> strange bedfellows. can you imagine if by some crazy stroke of craziness, nobel peace prize for dennis rodman. staying with our international news coverage, in israel, they are dealing with a small swarm of locusts. sounds biblical. >> the experts say these critters blew over the border from egypt and the locals are doing whatever they can to minimize the damage, including spraying pesticides on their fields. so far no major agricultural damage is being reported. >> it's the first locust outbreak in israel in nine years. very creepy. makes me think of "the ten commandments."

>> yes. what happens after the locusts? does it rain frogs? i don't remember. >> oh, right. in "the ten commandments," what happens after the locusts? i don't know. the nile turns red. there's all kinds of stuff. >> it's the end of the world as we know it. >> charlton heston, did you watch that as a family? >> every year. every single year. hi, mom. >> the movie is like as a million hours long and i loved it as a kid. >> that's probably the reason most of the lessons i learned in catholic school sunk in. because i saw it played out on television. >> let my people go! coming up, the sitcom star who made us laugh for years is fighting a major battle. and the young woman who made headlines trying to kick her way into the nfl. her athletic intentions, were they truly sincere? we'll talk about that. you're watching "world news now." ♪ ain't nothing like the real thing, baby ♪ ♪ ain't nothing like the real think ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by

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and now to a classic case of dirty politics. for weeks, the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee has been denying that he paid women for sex. >> and it now appears that senator robert menendez was telling the truth and one of those women has come forward to say that she was paid to lie. abc's chief investigative correspondent brian ross reports. >> reporter: as menendez campaigned for re-election last year, republican operatives went

into overdrive to implicate him in a sex scandal. is that the same person you had sex with? >> si. >> reporter: six days before the election, operatives arranged skype interviews with this woman and this one and this one who all told abc news the senator paid them for sex. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: it supposedly happened at the famed resort casa de campo, and the home there of one of the senator's donors, where gop operatives claimed in reports that surveillance teams learned of raucous pool parties, everyone naked, of course. but none of the women could produce identity cards with real names and all provided the same story, almost word for word, as if they had been coached. they were, at least according to a sworn affidavit filed in court this week by one of the three women, who says it was all a lie, not the truth, that she and the others were paid to use fake names and make up a story about sex with the senator. >> i think it's a pretty

elaborate plot to take down a sitting senator. >> reporter: abc news did not report the allegations last year, but two of the women also talked to a conservative news website, the daily caller, which ran the story and continues to stand by it. senator menendez said tuesday it was an outrage. >> these are false smears that began during my election in an attempt to affect the election for the senate. >> reporter: brian ross, abc news, new york. >> so while these prostitutes have been completely discredited as far as we can tell, senator menendez is not out of the weeds just yet. there's a big donor that apparently gave him free plane rides and he helped out with contracts. and now there's an ethics inquiry that's been opened up against the senator to make sure that this relationship was on the up and up. and so -- >> still in some potential hot water. but i'm sure he must be quite

relieved at this development. >> oh, man. isn't that just terrible? >> it's terrible. still ahead, a sad announcement from a sitcom veteran. >> why valerie harper's attitude is inspirational after her very difficult diagnosis. we'll tell you about it. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now"

♪ that was the theme song from "rhoda," a spinoff from "the mary tyler moore show" starring the very funny valerie harper. this morning we have some sad news to pass along. harper has announced she has terminal brain cancer. >> as abc's cecilia vega reports, harper has come to terms with the diagnosis, but is staying optimistic. >> reporter: she's the sidekick that's kept us laughing for decades. >> don't look at me. i don't have any makeup on yet. that's where you're supposed to say, rhoda, you look sensational without makeup. >> reporter: but valerie harper

has some heartbreaking news. the tv legend, known simply as -- >> rhoda! >> reporter: -- tells "people" magazine she has a rare, incurable form of brain cancer. in a tearful interview the magazine calls a brave goodbye, the 73-year-old says the diagnosis hit me like a sledge hammer. incurable is such a concise word. i was terrified. when she appeared on "gma" in january, she told amy about stroke-like symptoms that had recently sent her to the hospital. >> i thought, what the heck is happening to me? >> reporter: what she didn't say is she received the terminal diagnosis just days earlier. >> hey, val, how are you, darling? it's me, mary. >> reporter: during the interview, a surprise phone call from an old friend left her visibly moved. >> thank you for calling in. i'm just so touched. >> i just want to wish you well. >> i know you do. you always have wished me well. >> reporter: harper tells "people," i don't think of dying, i think of being here now. >> there are moments of course

where she feels extremely sad. she's also an extremely funny person. she's very, very happy that she's had the life that she's had. >> reporter: the woman who for so long was america's best friend is still providing sage advice. life is amazing, she says. live it to the fullest. stay as long as you can. cecilia vega, abc news, los angeles. >> what an inspiration, right? we should all think about that today. mary tyler moore saying in "people" magazine, valerie has given the world so much joy and laughter. i join her fans and send much love and positive thoughts to her and her family during this very difficult time. >> and valerie, by the way, this is not her first brush with cancer. in 2009, she battled lung cancer. >> and beat it. >> and beat it. and she was a non-smoker. so inspirational words from a woman who has brought us lots and lots of joy. >> yeah. >> good for her. still to come, new questions this morning about a woman who tried out for the new york jets.

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take the finish shine challenge with quantum. voted product of the year by consumers ! ♪ i let it go too long ♪ and now the book i write, oh welcome back, everyone. earlier this week, we told you about a woman whose attempt to try out as a kicker for the nfl fell far short of what many had hoped. >> yeah. some say it was just a bad moment for her. others say it might have been a bad reflection on all serious female athletes. abc's juju chang explains this controversy. >> reporter: it was the kick heard round the world. which landed with a thud. make that two thuds. 28-year-old lauren silverman's hopes of being the first woman in the nfl fell so far short,

she became fodder for comedians. >> there she is kicking the football and she did not make the nfl. >> reporter: some questioned if silverman, a former soccer player who had never played football, had any business trying out for the nfl. even though she scored the tryout with this impressive tryout at a super bowl fan event. but the average nfl placekick, 41.8 yards. her attempt, drifting 19 yards. then just 13. >> the minute i touched the ball, my quad, i could feel it tense up and hurt. it was really painful. >> my heart sunk into my stomach when i saw the kicks. it was not good for lauren, it is not good for any of us. >> reporter: katie is among the most qualified women in football. she started in high school, played college ball. she became the first woman to ever score in a division i game. she even played pro football in the arena league.

she worries that silverman's injury-plagued performance may have set back the cause of serious female kickers who fought long and hard for years to be taken seriously. >> not having the kicking experience is huge. and i think it is maybe a bit presumptuous. >> reporter: she's not the only one to feel that way. the twittersphere erupted with heated reaks. disgrace to female athletes says one woman. and will the real female kickers send us your stats? but others say not so fast. >> she didn't have a good day. but does it impact women's sports? not at all. >> reporter: juju chang, abc news, new york. >> to say not at all, you know, to say it won't impact female sports at all, i don't know if that's true. now we'll never know. there are a lot of women who want to break into the nfl. >> who are legitimate good kickers. >> like me. >> who have much more experience. >> there you go. i've been trying to be a kicker for years. >> kicker, player, you got it all down.

>> i want to be a kicker. i want to be a real player.

this morning on "world news now," march misery. the winter storm that snapped powerlines, turned roads into ice and flooded shorelines hit by hurricane sandy. >> and there's even more snow coming to big cities in the northeast. it is thursday, march 7th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good thursday morning. i'm diana perez. >> and i'm john muller in for rob nelson. what miserable winter weather. two weeks until string. if you can believe all this. accuweather has the latest on yet another storm system that's coming. our other major story is the fatal attack on a 26-year-old volunteer at a private animal sanctuary. what provoked this lion? so many questions for investigators now in california.

and that's not the only major concern involving wildlife this morning. some south florida beaches are off-limits because sharks are dangerously close to the shore and it's happening as spring breakers head to the beaches. >> not good timing there. and later, the scandal hitting the professional dance community. who confessed to masterminding an acid attack on a famed ballet artistic director. we'll get the very latest on the injuries and the investigation to solve it. but first, that nasty winter storm clinging to the northeast this morning after battering the midwest and mid-atlantic. >> parts of virginia buried under 20 inches of snow. 1100 flights canceled in washington, d.c., alone. with flights still delayed in the northeast this morning. >> winter warnings are posted in seven states as the storm now turned into a nor'easter. we begin with abc's richard cantu. >> reporter: it could be winter's last gasp. that deadly storm which pummeled so much of the nation's midsection moved east wednesday. blasting its way towards the coast. all day long across much of

virginia, driving was not for the feint of heart as snow piled up on roadways, nearly two feet in some places, making travel treacherous. in north carolina, the intrepid faced off against ice. roads so slick, it was all downhill as police responded to accidents. >> he hit us about two times in the front, then slammed into the side of us and started pushing us down the embankment. >> reporter: the nation's capital was unusually quiet. the federal government and most schools closed. the city largely spared. but in nearby maryland, wind gusts so strong, they sent this semi teetering against the guardrail of the bay bridge. >> i'm really not me prayered for more of this, to be perfectly honest. >> reporter: up the eastern seaboard, those battered by hurricane sandy braced for another wallop. the remnants of that storm's wrath still clearly visible from the new jersey coastline through the rockaways, all the way to

eastern long island. lashing wind and coastal flooding threatening the entire area. >> we're in the process of rebuilding. i have construction material all over the place. i had to put it up on higher ground. i think it's going to flood again. >> reporter: this storm will move slowly, hanging around the already battered beaches, and finally pushing on towards new england. this weather showing little sign that spring is a mere two weeks away. richard cantu, abc news, new york. >> not looking very spring-like, is it? the winds will kick up along the shorelines hit by hurricane sandy. >> and pictures taken from space reveal how large this storm has become. our coverage now continues with accuweather's jim dickey. with even more snow on the way. good morning, jim. >> good morning, john and diana. we look at the radar and satellite imagery here. off the coast of the mid-atlantic. a pretty daunting-looking storm system wrapping up. the rain and snow ongoing. you see the pinks and blues starting to mix in. as temperatures fall overnight, we're dragging in cold air, changing back to snow in many cases. we'll see a slushy coating to an inch piling up through

wednesday night, thursday morning. the wednesday high as well, gusts of 60, 70 miles per hour along the coast of new jersey. we'll see those gusts along new england as well. so coastal flooding, beach erosion, that continues along with more in the way of snowfall. this is going to interact with another upper low off of southern ontario now. that keeps snow in place on through the day on thursday into the overnight. 3 to 6 inches in many spots. john and diana, back to you. >> thank you, jim dickey at accuweather. now to our top story. the tragic death at a california animal sanctuary. >> investigators are trying to figure out why the 26-year-old vick time, diana hanson, went inside the lion's cage and what might have provoked the animal to attack. abc's brandi hitt has the latest. good morning, brandi. >> reporter: good morning, john and diana. a 26-year-old intern was killed when investigators say she went into an enclosure with a 4-year-old male lion named couscous. this lion is housed at project survival safe haven.

it's a sanctuary for big cats in california. and officials say the lion attacked wednesday afternoon while the park was closed. another employee tried several times to distract couscous away, but it didn't work. >> she was attacked and fatally injured. the lion was shot and killed per our safety protocols. our thoughts go out to our friend and her family. >> reporter: detectives and the department of fish and game are investigating what led up to this attack. >> this is very rare. very rare, because of the safety requirements that we require through our permitting system, animal/employee interaction is limited. >> reporter: this sapgt ware was founded 20 years ago. cat haven has followed protocols for permits and has a good history. but detectives will be looking deeper into their records to find out what went wrong here. john and diana? >> brandi, thank you very much. we'll stay on top of this investigation into this fatal lion attack all morning long. we'll look for updates and we'll give them tow you on "america this morning" and "good morning america." hundreds of sharks are

forcing swimmers out of the water at several south florida beaches. one beach in palm beach county was closed two days in a row after lifeguards spotted the sharks lurking dangerously close to the shoreline on tuesday and wednesday. people who live in the area are warning tourists who are coming for spring break to take these warnings seriously. >> people really need to heed these warnings, because thank god it is a public beach and they have lifeguards and they have these warnings. so sharks are not to be reckoned with. >> shark sightings are common this time of year due to migration patterns. even so, officials take extra precautions when the sharks come this close to the shore. it was an emotional moment in tucson, arizona, as former congresswoman gabrielle giffords returned to the place where she was almost gunned down two years ago. she was among 13 people shot at the safeway supermarket. she wept back there -- she went back there in a courageous move yesterday, speaking just 15

words. giffords and her husband urged lawmakers in washington to pass background checks for gun purchases. >> we're strong supporters of the second amendment. i don't think you'll find somebody that's a stronger supporter of the second amendment than gabby and i. >> be bold, be courageous, please support background checks. >> new research is sure to add to the ongoing national debate over gun control. the study finds that states with the most gun control laws have the fewest gun-related deaths. well, some old-fashioned political theater, a filibuster, played out on the floor of the senate and it just ended this morning. kentucky republican rand paul spoke almost continuously for five hours. it was a successful attempt to block the nomination of john brennan as cia director. paul is critical of the administration's policy that allow drone attacks on terror targets even if they're u.s. citizens. that filibuster, by the way, ñ >> 13 hours he spent on that floor. can you imagine? >> i can't. i can't imagine somebody standing up there. there was a point where he started eating peanuts. he was taking long breaks between his sentences. >> how funny. >> he came prepared. >> he should have gotten a pizza

at least. peanuts, come on. >> this is actually a big deal, because a lot of americans are upset about the fact that we could be bringing drones to attack our own people. we use them in combat and war in other places and they have been very effective though not always precise. >> the idea of going after an american on american soil has a lot of people very upset so it's very controversial. but they say this would be a very rare occurrence. but some people don't take the government at their word. by the way, he spoke for just about five hours, and he had his friends, fellow republicans, round out the 13 hours. >> 13 hours of filibuster. and it was effective. >> the filibuster is a fascinating thing. isn't it? >> it really is. >> should we just filibuster here and just take over the air? >> we do filibuster. we do it for two and a half hours. the president dined with 12 republican senators as a posh washington hotel. the effort by president obama to move budget talks ahead was

given a thumbs up by senator john mccain. and senator pat toomey of pennsylvania described it as good, constructive conversation. the white house says the president picked up the check, but the republicans say they went dutch. positive news about the economy pushed the dow to its second straight record close. wall street traders buying down stocks yesterday. the average gained another 42 points but the nasdaq slipped nearly two. asian markets are mixed in today's trading. with japan's index at a four-year high. the city of new orleans will always be special for the baltimore ravens and their fans because the team won the super bowl there last month. >> new orleans is just special period. >> it is. >> so the team has donated two new harley davidson motorcycles to the new orleans police department traffic division. that will make some friends. ravens star, jacoby jones who is a native of the big easy, represented the team at yesterday's presentation.

>> last time we saw him in new orleans, he was returning the super bowl second half kickoff for a touchdown. >> i'm getting the feeling those guys could speed at will. nobody would ever say that, but come on. >> yeah, those guys have nothing slowing them down. and by the way, this is the least they could do for the police department. apparently they were provided with escorts, police escorts all over town while they were there. 24-hour security during the super bowl week. and their owner was given a couple of motorcycles for the cops. so it's the least that they could do. >> pay it back. >> why not? >> why not. coming up, how a laugh got a new york man in some deep trouble and who is not laughing along with him. forget about taking a tour of the white house thanks to the automatic budget cuts. tourists are outraged and critics say it's a political move. you're watching "world news now." ♪ on my door, i hear you knocking but you can't come in ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by hotwire.com. ♪ go back where you've been

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but once a week i let her play sheriff so i can wash it. i use tide to get out those week old stains and downy to get it fresh and soft. you are free to go. [ dad ] tide and downy together.

♪ does that make you feel relaxed? >> a little bit. >> lowers the blood pressure a little bit. >> except this story i'm not so relaxed. >> it's going to go right back up.

the drama worthy of the stage behind russia's famed bolshoi ballet. >> police say he confessed to hiring someone to throw acid in the face of the company's artistic director. and the motive? love. abc's kirit radia has the story. >> reporter: it's a story of jealousy, ego and revenge. the type russia's bolshoi ballet is famous for. but like natalie portman's obsessive character in "black swan" the real drama is taking place off stage. police have detained this man, a top bolshoi dancer, pavel dmitrichenko. the alleged mastermind behind the attack on the artistic director. in january, he was splashed with acid, leaving him badly scarred and fighting for his eyesight. the story has unraveled like the

bolsh bolshoi's dramas. dmitrichenko reportedly ordered the hit as revenge for his girlfriend, a rising star who was passed over for top roles, reportedly even calling her fat. in a taped confession, the suspect said he only wanted to scare the victim, not hurt him. people have been coming here to the bolshoi theater from around the world for centuries. over that time, the theater has been no stranger to scandal. there are stories of jealous dancers putting broken glass in a rival's shoe. or even pins in their costume. >> it is sort of like the movie "the black swan." if a young dancer has a lead, it can make them or break them. >> reporter: some still suspect this was not a solo act. the question now is, who else will fall before the final curtain comes down? kirit radia, abc news, moscow. >> yikes! >> how crazy is that? i don't know why, clearly it's different, but it almost reminds

me of the tonya harding -- >> yes! >> -- where you just lose touch with reality. >> what could we do to each other? >> an acid attack or -- >> i'm going to put glass in your shoes so you can't walk to the set. that just seems ridiculous. that you get so -- >> a bucket of sawdust in the face just before the show. >> you get so caught up. >> i know, it's nuts. let go a little bit. everybody has people they don't get along with. bosses at work. but you don't throw acid in their face. >> here's a little more information for you. the alleged attacker, the person that carried this out. because the person you saw there he's the one that hired someone to do this to the director. so the gentleman who actually did this, the person's name is uri zarutsky. apparently they bought this acid from an auto shop. not only that, talk about premeditated, they then heated it up to evaporate all the water to make the acid even stronger. yikes. >> doesn't sound like they were just trying to scare the person, does it? >> no, i think they were trying to do harm. still to come, a case of necessary savings or playing politics?

>> the white house has dashed the hopes of some schoolchildren and republicans are saying it just didn't have to happen. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

♪ i hear you knocking, but you can't come in ♪ ♪ i hear you knocking the white house is our house. that is the rallying cry by schoolchildren who are hoping to visit the white house on a field trip. >> but they were shut down after the obama administration canceled tours because of spending cuts. abc's jonathan karl spoke with the disappointed class. >> reporter: for tourists visiting the nation's capital, the decision to close the white house has hit with a thud. what do you guys make of this decision for the white house to say they're going to cut white house tours? >> how frank do you want it to be? >> as frank as you want it to be. >> it's just bull [ bleep ]. >> reporter: these folks came from minnesota.

>> the white house. >> reporter: we talked via skype to a sixth grade class from waverly, iowa, just told their white house tour next week has been canceled. how big a deal is it to go to the white house? >> it's very important. they'll remember it for the rest of their lives. unfortunately, they might remember this is a sign of their government if they can't go. >> reporter: now they've launched a facebook campaign. to get the white house reopened. the message -- >> all: the white house is our house. please let us visit. >> reporter: republicans accused the white house of playing politics, but the white house says it's canceling tours because sequester spending cuts have sliced $84 million out of the secret service's $1.6 billion budget and they are the ones who secure the tours. they wouldn't say how much this saves. so we did some math. tours are open 20 hours a week and use 30 uniformed secret service officers at about $30 an hour. total saved, approximately $18,000 a week. cuts or no cuts, here in the

capitol building, tours continue. while we were there, we ran into the speaker of the house. the president says he has to cancel the tours because of the budget cuts. >> we're open. and americans are welcome. >> reporter: the president had dinner wednesday night with a group of republican senators at a fancy restaurant just six blocks from here. he took a 20-vehicle motorcade and lots of secret service agents. maybe next time they can save by just ordering in. jon than karl, abc news, the white house. >> the entire white house budget apparently is $500 million. this would account for 1%, these tours of the white house. >> i have the feeling they can afford it. >> it does seem strange. >> by the way, the cut is like $352,000 and that's a ride on air force one for two hours. >> is that right? i love this one. a republican from texas, introducing an amendment to the spending bill, bars the use of funds to transport the president to the golf course until the white house tours resume.

>> and we were talking about portraits that cost $180,000 a year. come on, white house, get it together. >> i'm with you. we'll be right back. >> i'm with you. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. he'll find. ♪ who's that lady? ♪ who's that lady? ♪ sexy lady ♪ who's that lady? [ female announcer ] swiffer sweeper's electrostatic dry cloths attract and lock dirt, dust, and hair on contact to clean 50% more than a broom. it's a difference you can feel. swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. and now swiffer wet and dry refills are available with the fresh scent of gain. and now swiffer wet and dry refills have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day,

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♪ hello, everybody, and welcome to "the mix." all right. so we start this one, this "mix" with a story that's going to make you upset. because it made us upset. this is about a gentleman who lives here in new york. rockville center, long island. his name is robert. this 42-year-old man was apparently laughing a lot at his neighbor. but here's the thing. he has some mental impairments and he's laughing because his neighbor makes fun of him. so that's the way he deals with his neighbor. >> it's kind of like a defense mechanism. >> so the neighbor called the police so now this is who is the bigger on idiot here? him the neighbor calls the police, . the police come and charge the man. so now he's been charged with obstructing justice and being offensive to others. apparently he was laughing and acting in such a manner that was

annoying, disturbing, and interfering. and obstructive and offensive. so now we have the idiot neighbor, the idiot police and a judge who refuses to drop the charges. now we have an idiot judge. >> this is a crazy story. against the law to laugh, i guess. >> that's not nice. listen to this. nobody's laughing about this. a delivery guy delivers 85 pizzas. 85. the total bill was 1,453 bucks. how much do you think he deserves? >> as a tip? >> yeah, what do you think? >> if you have enough money to spend $1,000 on pizza, i would say $100. >> okay, he got a $10 tip. so the guy went online, or his friend did, and he uploaded the seat, said, are you kidding me? $10 is cheap. it started a debate. >> good for him. >> it is interesting. i delivered food in college, one of the crazy jobs i had to pay my way through college. and book money and all that stuff, beer money. whatever. and 20% is a lot for delivery boys.

i mean, waiters get that. delivery boy doesn't expect 20%, but you don't expect ten bucks on a bill of 1400 bucks. 50 bucks, i think, is about right. >> 50 bucks, 100 bucks. if you're going to spend $1400 on pizza, throw the guy a little bit. >> $10, not so much. >> i was a waitress also in college. and man, oh, man, i didn't like the $5 tips on $50. you want to make these kids want to do what they're doing. as opposed to going and posting your stuff on reddit. now this one is pretty interesting. if you want to be a social media manager for a pizza hut, you can go ahead and apply, but your job interview is going to be 140 seconds long. >> 140 seconds, which is two and a half minutes. >> imagine going in an interview and having to say all of your qualifications, everything you're good at, some of the things you want to do for the company and you've got to do it in two and a half minutes.

that's just not going to happen. >> maybe with some of these applicants, it might be a good thing. less is more.

this morning on "world news now," deadly storm. the toll this late winter storm is having on the eastern third of the country. >> the deep, heavy snow, dangerous travel conditions and the threat of more ice and snow over the next 24 hours. it's thursday, march 7th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, everybody. i'm john muller in for rob nelson. >> finally on this thursday. >> we're getting there. inching our way to friday. >> friday eve. we love it, we love it. >> but not loving this weather, are we? >> i know. >> crazy stuff. >> a second storm is merging with this storm, making spring seem like it's more than just two weeks away. that's our top story. the other major story comes from california, where a lion

killed a 26-year-old woman at a wildlife sanctuary. why investigators are puzzled about this one. and a followup on the drone sighting over the skies over a busy new york airport, jfk to be precise. who is flying these small remote aircraft and why passenger jets could be at risk. and all the buzz about late-night talk show hosts. while jimmy fallon may be moving up and who may be taking the current place that he holds on the dial. that's coming up in "the skinny." >> that would be a controversial pick. that's our little tease. stay tuned for that. we begin with the powerful storm blasting the east coast this morning, unleashing snow, rain, winds. it knocked out power to 250,000 people so far. >> floodgates swung into action in norfolk, virginia, keeping rising waters in check. powerful winds from the winter storm are causing storm surge. today they're bracing for coastal flooding along the new jersey shore, long island and new england. >> the storm is being blamed for at least four traffic deaths in the midwest. in chicago, the roof of a banquet hall collapsed. apparently under the weight of the heavy, wet snow. as you see, a lot of damage there. fortunately no one was hurt. >> winter storm warnings are in

effect in at least seven states this morning from new jersey to maine. beachfront communities are still rebuilding after superstorm sandy are keeping their fingers crossed. abc's ginger zee begins our coverage. >> reporter: winds are howling along the east coach. low-lying areas in new jersey already under water, now under voluntary evacuations. that area, still raw from hurricane sandy, now scrambling to protect the fragile coastline from this storm's driving rain, surge, and winds. wind so strong in maryland, this semi teetered on the edge of a bridge. in north carolina, real-life bumper cars on an icy mountain road. the federal government shut down. more than 200 accidents so far as we make our way through the storm. so we just had to get off the highway because there's a jackknifed semi. there have been 250,000 power outages and at least one person is dead, hit by a fallen tree. the snow is thick and it is

heavy. so hazardous and the storm isn't done yet. now, we keep telling you wet and heavy snow fell. but how heavy is wet, heavy snow? let me give you an idea. i have a scale here. and i know what i weigh. this adds about ten pounds. that just to give you perspective, is more than a gallon of milk. ginger zee, abc news, shenandoah national park, virginia. >> when you hear ginger grunt, you know it's heavy. she is tough. >> oh, yeah. shoveling, by the way, ten pounds of snow with every shovel load? >> it sounds cliche, but you better bend the knees. because if you just bend the back and just do like this, like i made the mistake of once, you'll pay for it. >> oh, be careful out there. >> coastal areas can expect winds up to 70 miles per hour. the same areas hit by hurricane sandy. >> and another storm bringing more snow. meteorologist jim dickey continues our coverage in accuweather. good morning, jim. >> good morning. still tracking our storm system

here. it's moved offshore but not going to push out to sea. we're seeing more blues and pinks mixing in. this indicating a slushy mix falling in many cases. new york city up through boston, a slushy coating to an inch piling up in these morning hours. and this isn't done yet. this storm system is now interacting with an upper low being drawn out of southern ontario. that will keep snow in place, especially in southern new england as we get through the day. with strong, gusty winds, beach erosion, coastal flooding ongoing here, too. initial snowfall here, looking for a wide area of 3 to 6 inches, a few spots 6 to 9, that includes worcester, massachusetts. extreme western massachusetts as well. john and diana, back to you. >> thanks, jim. here's the rest of your thursday forecast. a chilly morning for most of florida. spring-like from dallas to denver. showers in the pacific northwest. rain from san francisco to san diego. and half a foot of snow in the sierra nevada, cascades and northern rockies. >> upper 40s from seattle to salt lake city. mostly 30s in the midwest. 40s in the northeast. a 26-year-old woman from

seattle has been killed in a lion attack at a california animal sanctuary. investigators are trying to figure out why the victim went into the cage. with the male lion. they said such attacks are almost unheard of, especially given how closely regulated sanctuaries like this one are. >> this is very rare, very rare, because of the safety requirements we require through our permitting system, animal-employee interaction is limited. >> the african lion, who had been hand-raised at the sanctuary, had to be shot and killed after the attack. >> so sad. her dad confirmed the death on facebook. and said diana loved her six-month internship at cat haven. >> 26-year-old diana hanson. this was a 350-pound lion, named couscous, he was 4 years old. he was hand-raised by these people. he was like the ambassador of the species almost, because he was so tame. so investigators are trying to figure out, did she make a sudden move, because the people that were in the cage right before --

>> they said she was chill -- or he is. >> so they're just trying to figure out did she make a sudden move? >> wild animals, you got to remember that. members of the u.s. senate talked until the wee hours of the morning as a successful effort to block the nomination of john brennan as head of the cia. senator rand paul of kentucky got things started just before lunchtime. he talked for five hours. other senators joined the chorus and paul yielded the floor just before 1:00 a.m. the filibuster there lasted 13 hours, if you can believe that. the head of venezuela's presidential guard said hugo chavez died after suffering a heart attack. the again said that in his final moments, chavez could not speak allowed but muttered, "i don't want to die." hundreds of thousands carried his coffin through the streets ahead of his funeral tomorrow. today could be the day roman catholic cardinals tell us when they're going to formally begin to choose the next pope. at long last, the final cardinal who will be involved in the

conclave is getting to the vatican today. that opens the way for an announcement about when the supersecret meeting will begin. all the cardinals are now under a vatican imposed media blackout. and we've got our first glimpse of the former pope in retirement. an italian magazine published this photo of benedict, now known as pope emeritus. that's him in white, strolling in the gardens of the papal retreat where he's now currently living. the teenager who survived two nights on a maine mountain has returned home to massachusetts. his mom said nicholas joy was in a good frame of mind after arriving in suburban boston. but is not ready to speak to reporters. a sister said nicholas may share his story later. >> nick is just tired and overwhelmed and, whenever, or if he's ready to come out. not today -- >> not tonight, not tomorrow. >> but at some point in the future he'll share his story if he feels like he wants to. >> the 17-year-old spent the night at a maine hospital after his rescue earlier in the day.

we've just got to say this. we're going to dedicate this next story to our own rob nelson, because it's just the kind of animal story he loves. >> he loves animals. we're being sarcastic. check out heidi, a 4-year-old rabbit, of all things, in england. she's not just swimming around because it's fun. this is heidi's hydrotherapy, which her vet recommends to deal with her arthritis. >> heidi's arthritis is in her hips, knees and back. they say this is really helping her, and look, she's wearing a scrunchy around her ears because she apparently just hates to get them wet. >> who knew? a bunny who can swim. >> and hates getting her ears wet. >> arthritis in the hips, not a good thing for a bunny. >> my dog has arthritis in the hips and this is a good thing. she loves jumping in the pool. now we will let her. >> there you go. >> there you go, mom. if you're listening, let cookie in the pool. coming up, all of that talk about late-night talk shows and who may be signing off and who

may be signing on. later, an epic weight loss. an inspirational journey. a man who lost more than 300 pounds without surgery or pills, is now helping others do the same. you're watching "world news now." ♪ you gotta mean it ♪ when you dig down deep so deep oh you gotta want it ♪ ♪ just gotta want it >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by united health care. news now" weather brought to you by united health care. that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and save you up to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs. call today to request a free decision guide

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in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

♪ blue skies smiling at me ♪ nothing but blue skies do i see ♪ well, those blue skies can be deceiving for pilots of commercial airlines these days, because there's a new danger in the air. >> yeah, the danger? drone aircraft. which can be anything from local police surveillance devices to small, remote-controlled toy planes. as abc's david kerley reports, it has pilots concerned. >> reporter: it's never happened before. five miles from a new york airport, a jumbo jet pilot spots something on final approach. >> kennedy tower, just for your information, we just saw a little drone below us. >> reporter: the alitalia pilot says the small black craft was within 200 feet of his jet. >> what altitude did you see that aircraft? >> about 1,500. >> reporter: the fbi is on the case. it's an incident that frightens pilots. >> a couple of pounds hitting an airplane going 200, 250 miles per hour, if it hits the wrong place, like comes in through the

cockpit, hits the glass, it can hit the pilot or co-pilot. it can hit an engine, take out an engine. >> reporter: you may think military, overseas and kill strikes when you hear the word drones. but these unmanned aircraft are showing up in american skies. police departments using small hand-launched drones to look for suspects or missing children. but it's not just the government buying drones. remote-controlled aircraft, some toys like this as well, have been around for years. but look what we found at a hobby store for $700. this is the phantom. it is a drone, four rotors. it can carry a camera and go 22 miles an hour and 1,000 feet in the air. that's almost as high as the empire state building. but flying this drone above 400 feet within three miles of an airport violates federal guidelines, possibly even the law. with technology improving and prices dropping, the government worries many more will be taking off. new rules are being considered, but with drones easily available, will those rules be enough to keep our skies safe?

david kerley, abc news, washington. >> fascinating story. how bad do we want one of these? >> i totally want one. >> are those the coolest? [ humming noise ] >> there it is. there's one in here actually. the lights above us, they're all tiny drones. >> they're just teasing us. we can't see it. >> it's coming out of somewhere. it's going to come and bomb us. so here's the deal. apparently the faa grants licenses for these things and they usually grant them to agencies that need the surveillance capacities. of a drone. >> sure. >> but the technology that we hold in our hands with our smartphones is advancing so quickly that teenagers might be able to equip these things with their smartphones and find people in a crowd the same way our government is trying to do with terrorists overseas. >> they say it's going to be used for traffic reports, finding lost dogs and cats. in a few years. peeping toms, you can do it right up to diana's window at

night. you don't even know it's out there. it's got a camera. >> see, that's the problem. >> drones are coming, everybody. >> don't like that idea. moving on. coming up, an all-new look for snooki from "the jersey shore." you know all about the jersey shore. >> i do, but i've never met snooki. jessica simpson spilling the beans. we'll tell you about that one. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our

♪ skinny, so skinny all right. time for "the skinny." let's talk late-night talk show hosts. a lot of rumors, unconfirmed. but rumors that jimmy fallon is going to be the successor to "the tonight show." jay leno might be pushed out, might step down. so if this happens, the new rumor is who would take over for jimmy fallon. >> they have an open spot. john, you declined. >> yes, i declined. this "world news now" gig is just too lucrative. but at any rate, "the new york post" is reporting that howard stern could be jimmy fallon's -- stern has had a lot of different appearances on tv. what is he doing now? he's doing that "america's got talent" show, so he's getting a lot more exposure. sort of more mainstream exposure than his radio show. >> you would be surprised how many people listen to that man's radio show. >> howard stern is funny. say what you want, i know it's politically incorrect. i'm sure a lot of people have issues with it. i know it's wrong, but every time i hear him, i crack up.

he's funny. >> every man -- my husband says he's a good interviewer. he pulls things out of people that nobody else does. >> he's tremendously talented. he can be profane, but that can be funny, too. >> so this grooming process might be a long time. >> we'll see. all unconfirmed. so we all know jessica simpson is pregnant once again. she's been pregnant for 45 years. >> hasn't she been -- right, hasn't she been pregnant forever? >> pregnant with her second one. so she was on "the jimmy kimmel show" this evening. >> she looks great, by the way. >> she does. and she was talking about how this one is different from her first one. because this second one is making her sick. take a listen. >> i've been vomiting and -- >> oh. >> yeah. i never knew that a wiener could actually make me nauseous. oh! >> wait a minute. what did you intend to say there? >> well, i guess i just told the world that i'm having a boy. >> oh, i didn't even know what was happening. >> wow, that's great.

>> okay, so i saw this happen. i actually didn't know what was happening either. i thought -- i honestly thought -- she could have gotten away with saying when she said wieners are making me sick, i thought she was talking about hot dogs. i really did. >> i went right to the dirty stuff. >> did you really? >> yes, of course. and i think most of the audience did. >> i don't know if they did. i think they were laughing at the fact that she said the word wiener. using it as an excuse to say it because she said it so many times. >> do wieners make you sick by the way? >> no, hot dogs don't make me sick at all. but i just think jessica simpson has an issue with oversharing. she was apparently on the "ellen degeneres" show and talked about farting and amniotic fluid and puking. so she shares a little too much. now the world knows she's having a boy. but i think she could have gotten away with saying hot dogs make me sick. >> jimmy kimmel nailed it, too. a preview landed right in my lap.

you're having a boy. >> there you go. this is awesome. japanese tv, leonardo dicaprio waits a bunch of years to bust out a really good impersonation of jack nicholson and he doesn't say a word. listen up. >> oh, my gosh! >> how great is that? >> check it out. >> let's see what they look like. how good is that? that's good. >> and they worked together on "the departed" about seven years ago. but that was on japanese tv and apparently the hosts all loved it there. i love it too. that's good. >> very cool. moving on. you know snooki very well because you live on the jersey shore. >> yeah, we're buds. we hang out, absolutely. >> you're neighbors. >> absolutely. >> any way, she's changed her look. she's dropped 42 pounds since she had her baby. she's now on the cover of "us weekly" and she looks good. but not only that, she's changed all together. she's lightened up a little bit, so she's taking it easy on the self-tanner and going tanning every two days now. >> she's a mom now. >> she's a mom. she's growing up. she said she wanted to lose the weight so her hubby, i think it's her hubby-to-be, they're

-- not sure if they're married. she wanted to look good for him. to make sure he always viewed her as a hot mama. and she is. good for you, snooki. she's growing up and lightening up. good for you. ma. and she is. good for you, snooki. she's growing up and lightening up. good for you. sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day

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♪ when it's time to lay it on the line ♪ well, if your new year's weight loss resolution is losing steam, we've got a little bit of inspiration for you this morning. >> check this out. brian beck lost more than 300 pounds without surgery or pills. this is why it is our "favorite story of the day." brian did it through sheer willpower. abc's rachel smith has more. >> reporter: brian beck has been on the heavier side of the scale for most of his life. >> the doctor put me on skim milk at 6 months old because i was gaining weight too rapidly. >> reporter: by the time he graduated college, he was tipping the scales at over 400 pounds. but by 2003, brian's weight wasn't just affecting his

personal life, it was affecting his career, as well. >> i had an interview to go to orlando. i went over to get my ticket and they said you need two. you take up a row basically. >> reporter: that's when he decided to have gastric bypass surgery. he lost nearly 200 pounds but didn't change his eating habits and gained all the weight back. after getting married in 2007, a second wakeup call. >> i'm on the phone with my wife and i just said, i can't live like this anymore. i can eat better. i can change my health. >> reporter: he started changing his life slowly. walking his dogs around the block and cutting out processed foods from his diet. over 2 1/2 years, more than 300 pounds melted away. what was a meal like for brian at 480-some odd pounds? >> instead of ordering one pizza, it would be two pizzas and a big order of like cheese sticks along with that. now i try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. and things like that. i do eat meats. i eat a lot of chicken.

a lot of -- i'll eat steak. >> reporter: now 40 years old, brian has decided to share his experience with others. he's a personal trainer and his clients include people who knew him at his heaviest weight. so what do you think about the new brian? >> i think he's awesome. >> reporter: yeah. >> thank you, buddy. >> inspiration, totally. >> reporter: and i couldn't help but pick up some tips myself. rachel smith, abc news, plano, texas. >> amazing turnaround. >> those jeans he's holding up, size 60-inch waist. we want to give you perspective. >> not making fun. just perspective. >> two people fit inside of this man's previous jeans. it's a wonderful story he now doesn't fit in them either. he's lost an incredible amount of weight. he was carrying around that much weight. he was carrying around an extra person. >> a picture is worth a thousand words. there you go right there. and he says, 80% of it is diet. you can work out all you want,

you have to have the diet. 80% of his weight loss he attributes to the diet.

this morning, could it be winter's last gasp? a restless night for millions as a deadly snowstorm continues its slow slog up the east coast. fierce winds and flooding, part of its punch. its next target, already snow-weary new england. all-nighter, a senate session goes into the wee hours while across town the president has a rare night out with republicans. and fatal attack. new details from california where a lion killed a young woman. this morning, we're hearing from her father. and snow survivor caught on tape. watch as an avalanche comes down right at a skier burying him. that camera even caught what happened next. good morning, everyone. i'm john muller in for rob nelson. >> and i'm diana perez. we begin with the

treacherous winter storm creating a slushy mess along the east coast. this morning winter warnings are posted in seven states as it stretches from new jersey to new england, and it's already dumped 20 inches of snow in virginia and knocked out power to 250,000 people. here's more from abc's richard cantu. >> reporter: it could be winter's last gasp, that deadly storm which pummeled so much of the nation's midsection moved east wednesday blasting its way towards the coast. all day long across much of virginia, driving was not for the faint of heart as snow piled up on roadways, nearly two feet in some places, making travel treacherous. in north carolina, the intrepid faced off against ice. roads so slick, it was all downhill as police responded to accidents. >> he hit us about two times in the front, and then he slammed into the side of us and then started pushing us down the embankment. >> reporter: the nation's capital was unusually quiet. the federal government and most schools closed. the city largely spared.